County board approves two feedlots in as many meetings

Monday

Apr 8, 2013 at 8:00 AM

The request was to take tillable farm land and grant a conditional use permit for the construction of a feedlot used for the care and feeding of finishing swine. The Watonwan County Board approved the conditional use permit by a 4-1 vote, the only no vote coming from Commissioner Kathleen Svalland.

Tyson HillSt. James Plaindealer

The Watonwan County Board approved the conditional use permit for a feedlot during their last scheduled meeting in March. Beginning in April, the County Board once again heard the request for a conditional use permit for the construction of a new feedlot located in South Branch Township Section 24.

The request was to take tillable farm land and grant a conditional use permit for the construction of a feedlot used for the care and feeding of finishing swine. The Watonwan County Board approved the conditional use permit by a 4-1 vote, the only no vote coming from Commissioner Kathleen Svalland.

The conditions that must be met for the permit to be effective are that trees be planted in accordance with the NICS, pit additives be used and residences within a mile of the feedlot be contacted 72 hours prior to hauling. It was also recommended, but will not be enforced, that the applicants – the Maloney Family – direct traffic from the south to the feedlot to limit the travel on the roads near effected residences.

Commissioners Dave Holmgren and Mark Rentz both supported the conditional use permit as it stood, as it fulfilled all of the requirements for a conditional use permit.

“There’s some things in this ordinance that I disagree with myself,” said Rentz. “But, the ordinance is our guideline. I just wish that instead of dealing with these things one by one, we hear from citizens and try to change [the ordinance], because at this point I feel that it’s my obligation as a commissioner to follow the ordinance.”

A bulk of the regularly scheduled Watonwan County Board Meeting was spent with Public Works Director Roger Risser, who presented the five-year road and bridge construction plan to the board during a public hearing.

Plans for 2013 include three bridge projects, a grading project on CSAH 16 and a reconditioning project on CR 120 in Darfur. The Watonwan County Board also authorized to advertize for the remaining 2013 construction projects:

Replace Br #90348 on CR 116 over creek

Replace Br #L6402 on 320th St. over Spring Branch Creek

Bituminous Mill and Overlay on CSAH 4 in Darfur

Bituminous Mill and Overlay on CSAH 50 in Darfur

Bituminous Overlay on CR 120 in Darfur

Following the authorization of those construction projects, the County Board accepted bids for Seal Oil coming from Flint Hills Resources in Savage Minn., for CRS-2 in the amount of $88,600 and MEIGS Paving Asphalts and Emulsions from Portage, Wis., for CSS-1HD50 in the amount of $18,885.30. Both were the low bids in their selected category.

The Watonwan County Board also passed a resolution to accept grant funds in the amount of $180,522 from the Minnesota State Transportation Fund for the construction of Bridge #83550 unanimously.

Other Business:

Signed subgrant agreement for hazard mitigation county plan update, which will allow the county to receive funding from homeland security to pay for the updated plan.

Approved all training requests.

Approved the advertisement for an environmental services officer.

Accepted contract for Farley Grunig to work temporarily as county assessor while the position is filled permanently.

Accepted previous meeting’s minutes.

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